


proper way of parenting

by crosspolination



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Pining, Post-Kingdom Hearts III, and cloud insisting they should absolutely adopt him, featuring squall not realizing he's being pined after, sora being a wonderful kid, squall's a bit dense deal with him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-16 18:33:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16959303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crosspolination/pseuds/crosspolination
Summary: Cloud insists that he's adopted Sora. He also insists on wanting to be Sora's other dad. Squall has no idea what to do with this information.





	proper way of parenting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yourhandiheld](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yourhandiheld/gifts).



> this is for jay liverpepper whom last year on christmas gave me a strifehart so now i take revenge but w LOVE  
> this is some post kh3 shit where EVERYTHIGN WENT RIGHT and NOTHING BAD HAPPENED, EVER i hope u enjoy

**i.**

“You’re going to get a headache if you keep frowning at that,” Cloud says, nodding at the clock that Squall must’ve, at one point, zoned out while staring at it.

He quickly shakes his head, like he was absolutely _not_ caught on the act of actively frowning to a clock. Cloud keeps polishing his gigantic sword, like it’s a very casual thing to do, and he has a very knowing smirk on his face – one that Squall would _love_ to punch off. Or kiss off. He still hasn’t settled his emotions yet.

“It’s just,” He kind of doesn’t want to say it. It’s going to be embarrassing if he does.  But also, he figures Cloud has seen enough embarrassing things from him that he probably wouldn’t be surprised. “Sora said he’d be here by three.”

Cloud lets out what seems to be an amused chuckle or a scoff. Squall wishes he could tell the difference between them. “It’s 2:58.”

“I know that,” he defends. Now he’s slightly embarrassed.

“And you’re still worried?”

He finally turns around to stare at Cloud, and he’s vastly surprised to find him with the most understanding expression. He half-expected a bit of mockery and a bit of understanding, just not… pure, genuine emotion. Having Cloud around again kind of feels overwhelming, if he’s honest. Too many old feelings resurfacing. He sighs anyway, trying to focus on the conversation.

“It’s a bit silly, isn’t it? There’s literally nothing to worry about,” and there really isn’t. There was no way Sora would get hurt or in trouble by coming to Radiant Garden. “It’s just…”

“Old habits die hard, I get you.”

Maybe when he wasn’t too busy worrying his head over Sora, he’d have time to deeply think about how he and Cloud are acting like they’ve always been together and are in incredibly good synchronization. But for now, he sighs again. He’s going to get a headache soon, he can feel it.

“Yeah, they do.” Squall looks down at his phone. “Like, it won’t kill the kid to send a text.”

“ _The kid_? You mean, your kid,” Cloud chuckles again. He finally puts his sword away, seemingly satisfied with the care, and now his full attention is on Squall. That’s terrifying. “You’ve kinda adopted him, Squall.”

“No, I have not. If anything I’m like his weird long-lost uncle,” he tries to explain, even though he kind of knows he’s a bit of a parent when it comes to Sora. “I’m not a dad.”

“You are,” Cloud finally laughs, and then pats the spot next to him on the sofa. “Come on, let’s watch TV until Sora comes.”

That didn’t sound too bad. Yeah, he could take a break from the anxiety his brain was causing. One side of his brain knows it’s completely alright to worry like this, that getting over all the worries that come from pseudo-wars and constant fear fades away as time goes on, but the other kind of just wants to enjoy the cartoons right now.

Cloud pats him on his shoulder, reassuringly.

It is way too comforting for it to just be a shoulder pat. Squall is embarrassing, really.

It works as a distraction, though, because twenty minutes later after one episode is done Sora _finally_ shows up. Squall could pick him up and hug him. He doesn’t mention being worried, only ruffles the kid’s hair and makes him come in.

Of course that’s not what Cloud decides to do.

“He was worried sick about you,” Cloud has this shit-eating smirk on his face that reminds him too much of when they were young. “You should tell your dad whenever you’re going to come late.”

Sora laughs, delighted, and Squall feels like hiding in his room and never coming out. Almost like a kid, but still maintaining his posture, he says: “I’m not his dad.”

Sora laughs even more, and Squall doesn’t know if he should feel offended that no one believes him, or endeared that Sora kind of sees him as a paternal figure. For some reason, no matter how much he denies it, he likes the feeling of that. Being seen like a responsible father figure for a kid who definitely needs more responsible adults in his life.

“Don’t worry, I like it!” Sora grins from ear to ear, and – okay, if the kid liked it, what was the big deal with it? He’s a dad now.

“Let’s just have lunch.”

“Am I invited to the lunch, too?” Cloud asks, like Squall would ever say no.

“I don’t know, are you?”

“I’m gonna take that as a yes.”

He briefly wonders if there’s a reason for Cloud to try to be so close nowadays. Or, not _try_ , because they’ve always been close – more like reinforce the fact that they _are_ close. Truth be told, Squall didn’t even know Cloud cared so much about Sora until right now.

It’s nice to see.

He can’t fight off the small smile that appears on his face when he sees both of them chatting, seeing Cloud smile more than usual. It’s way too nice to see.

**ii.**

Cloud tags along with him to the grocery store nowadays, because that seems to be a thing he does now. He doesn’t even ask Squall if he needs help or if he can come; he’s just right next to him every time he announces he’s going to the store.

Today is no exception to that, as Cloud pushes the cart while Squall keeps filling it up with food and snacks.

Around twenty minutes in, Cloud says something more interesting. “Are you carrying all of these for Sora?”

Squall stops momentarily, staring at the packet of ramen in his hands. It is definitely not the brand Squall likes, or the brand anyone in their group of friends like. He mentally goes through everything on the cart and realizes a good sixty percent is all food he bought thinking of Sora.

“I’m just saying, if you need someone to sign the adoption papers with, I’m here,” Cloud says nonchalantly.

He raises an eyebrow at him, willing at his heart to not speed up because he is an _adult_ and not the same teenager who had a stupid crush on his best friend. Or maybe he’s just now an adult in love, which is probably worse. Whatever the case, he levels him with a look.

“What makes _you_ think you’re qualified to be a dad?” is what he chooses to say instead, like an idiot, instead of denying it or saying no.

Cloud seems offended. “I can make dad jokes.”

“Can you?”

“Cid can teach me.”

“That would give you too much power,” he puts the packet inside the cart anyways, because okay, maybe he is a dad. “I will have to talk to Cid about this.”

“So you’d let me adopt with you?”

 _Why_ are they having this conversation on the grocery store?

“It’s debatable,” is all Squall says back.

Cloud hums. “I’ll have to work on my dad skills better, then.”

Squall pretends to not choke on air.

**iii.**

Sora, like the good kid (not Squall’s kid, though) he is, decides to come to visit again but this time he wants to sleep over. He chooses the best time to sleep over, too: their house is filled with all the members, and Yuffie is beyond excited to have the best movie marathon with Sora.

Cid even volunteers to make them the food, which is probably the nicest thing he’s done for them the entire month. Sora _insists_ on watching the movies on the floor, and that all of them can sleep there so it’s a proper sleepover.

Somehow, Sora _convinces_ Squall to be on his pajamas for the whole thing (“Everyone is going to be wearing one, otherwise it’s not a sleepover!”) so now Squall is sitting, sandwiched between Sora, and surprisingly, Cloud.

“You look comfy,” is what Cloud had said before claiming his spot next to him.

“You look about the same,” he gestures at Cloud’s pajamas — Squall didn’t even know he actually owned pajamas, for starters. “How come you’re here?”

“Our kid said sleepover time,” Cloud shrugs. “I wasn’t going to pass it.”

“ _Our_?” Squall can’t stop himself from asking. He feels like an idiot now.

“Yeah, told you I was up for adopting,” he reaches in the middle of Squall’s legs and grabs a handful of popcorn. “Isn’t that right, Sora?”

“Huh?” asks Sora, who’s too engrossed in the movie to actually pay attention to them. “Yeah?”

“See, there you go,” Cloud is wearing again that one smug smirk. “He agrees with me.”

Squall shakes his head, willing to not dig too deep into whatever Cloud thinks he’s doing with these types of conversations. It’s probably all jokes, anyway. When Cloud came to stay on Radiant Garden, Squall did tell him he’d treat him like he always has. Maybe he’s just taking him up on that, joking and teasing like they always used to.

It’s _definitely_ that, he tells himself, trying to reason the fact Cloud accidentally fell asleep and his head is about to hit his shoulder at any second. Sora, on the other hand, has been long gone for an hour or two already, being perfectly comfortable with asking Squall to lift up his arm so he could snuggle into him.

Sora’s fine, really. He expected this. But the moment Cloud’s head hits his shoulder he’s ready to internally scream and run away from the room. The most terrifying part of this whole situation is just how comfortable he feels between them, and how right it feels.

Cid, who’s carrying extra blankets since it got colder, makes eye contact with Squall.

Squall communicates him through a stare that he’s dying and he’s in desperate need of help. Cid replies by giving him a very Cid smile and throwing the blanket at him, which disturbs Cloud again.

Before he can even say anything, a very sleepy Cloud nudges him. “Lie down properly. Let’s sleep.”

Squall hopes that it doesn’t mean Cloud will end up snuggling against his chest. Or, hopes so, but doesn’t want to admit it.

To his relief (and sadness), Cloud positions himself next to him, but not touching him. There’s not much distance anyway, he’s _still_ sandwiched between him and Sora, but he kind of misses the slightest of touches from him — even if it _was_ just his head resting. Squall’s been harboring this crush since he’s a teenager. He’s _allowed_ to feel like this.

Once he thinks he’s over the initial freakout, Cloud puts his hand over his torso, casually.

“Good night,” he says, and he’s asleep the next second.

He discreetly looks over Sora, who’s also sound asleep, and wonders how the hell he ended in this situation.

**iv.**

Cloud’s been staring at him for a while now.

Squall has no idea if he has something in his face, if he’s doing something wrong, if Cloud is napping with his eyes opened (it has happened), or if he’s just zoning out. So after a while of not knowing what to do, he finally stops pretending like he doesn’t realize Cloud is staring at him.

“What is it?” he asks at last, trying to not sound as rude as he thought. “Is there something wrong?”

“Just waiting,” Cloud replies, cryptically.

“For?”

“For when you realize that I haven’t been joking about getting adoption papers,” Cloud shakes his head, as if he’s disappointed. “I want this. Us.”

Squall remains calm.

He really, surprisingly, remains calm. “Us, as in, us having a relationship? Or a kid?”

“Whichever,” Cloud shrugs. “As long as that option gets me to sleep with you.”

“W-what?”

“OH – Oh, NOT, not like that – I meant it more romantically,” Cloud starts saying, suddenly really flustered. Now that’s a better sight than him being cool and composed.

“Like… love-making?”

“NO,” Cloud immediately exclaims. “I mean, yes? But, like, not what I meant _there_  - I meant it like, whatever option lets me be with you – that kind of nice stuff…”

Squall laughs heartily. “We don’t need to adopt, Cloud.” Should he be sappy? Should he be nice? He guesses being sappy is okay. “I’m happy as long as you’re by my side.”

Cloud stays silent.

Maybe he said the wrong thing.

Then, he smiles a little. “That’s really gay.”

“That’s all you have to say?”

Cloud walks over to him, pressing a quick but sweet kiss on his forehead. “That’s all I have to say.”

Squall dies a little, but okay.

He’s still a bit confused about whether they’re dating or they’re ready to adopt, but he guesses only time will tell. And Sora. Sora would tell, too.

**Author's Note:**

> writes strifehart in 2k18....oof..legends only,
> 
> jay i hope u Liked This i love u!!  
> n  
> lets be pals [here](http://twitter.com/joshriku/)


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